The packaging of eggs or other fragile articles for sale to the public has heretofore been a problem due not only to the fragile nature of the articles, but also, especially as related to eggs, to the fact that the eggs are sold in dozen lots of small, medium, large, and extra large sizes, and from an economical standpoint it is desirable to have one cartion size which will effectively carry at least multiple lots of eggs or at least two or more of the recognized sizes, i.e., small, medium, large or extra large, without the liability of cracking the eggs during shipment and handling, or at the place of sale.
Egg cartons usually have a tray section and a cooperating lid or cover section and defining generally ovate cells of a mean size, which will carry all commercial sizes of eggs in dozen lots of each size. With such cartons, the general practice has been to shape the cells to receive the expected largest eggs having the "worst case" shape variation. Inasmuch as eggs are a product of nature, they vary not only in size but also in shape, such that eggs, if given standard size designation, will not all have the same shape. As a result, when a standard carton (non-jumbo) is used, at least some, if not all, of the eggs will fit too loosely, with the result that some of the eggs are subject to cracking during shipment and handling, and when the purchaser is carrying the carton of eggs to a place of use.